The 2025 SPN Annual Report provides an overview of the association's activities and financial performance over the past year. The Annual Report summarizes updates to the organization’s strategic plan, membership and financial information, and major activities from the year. It includes recognition of award recipients and a recap of the Annual Conference.
Paper on: The Effects of Face Masks on Young Children as It Pertains to Articulation and Hearing After the Pandemic.
By: Shelly Burke of Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) Healthcare Policy and Advocacy Committee (HPAC)
SPN President, Jennifer Baird, PhD, MPH, MSW, RN, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, CPN, and President-Elect, Michaela Lewis, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-AC/PC, CPN, CPEN, CNE, CNE-cl, PMHS, VA-BC, CCRN, speak on current events impacting the nursing profession, SPN membership updates, and more!
Protecting Children from Lead Exposure: The Importance of Lead Screening
By: SPN’s Healthcare Policy and Advocacy Committee (HPAC)
Introduction
There is no safe level of lead in the blood (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d.-a). Lead poisoning remains a serious public health concern, with long-term developmental and neurological consequences, particularly for young children.
SPN President, Jennifer Baird, PhD, MPH, MSW, RN, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, CPN, and President-Elect, Michaela Lewis, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-AC/PC, CPN, CPEN, CNE, CNE-cl, PMHS, VA-BC, CCRN, speak on current events impacting the nursing profession, SPN membership updates, and more!
Drowning Prevention and Water Safety: Key Facts for Children and Teens
By Nicole Lucas, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Call for Nominations for Elected Positions
By: Kathy Van Allen, MSN, RN, CPN
SPN President, Jennifer Baird, PhD, MPH, MSW, RN, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, CPN, and President-Elect, Michaela Lewis, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-AC/PC, CPN, CPEN, CNE, CNE-cl, PMHS, VA-BC, CCRN, speak on current events impacting the nursing profession, SPN membership updates, and more!
SPN President, Jennifer Baird, PhD, MPH, MSW, RN, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, CPN, and President-Elect, Michaela Lewis, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-AC/PC, CPN, CPEN, CNE, CNE-cl, PMHS, VA-BC, CCRN, speak on the Pediatric Bill of Rights, SPN membership updates, and more!
SPN is launching a new award this quarter! The Nurse Safety Spotlight Award (powered by Baxter) looks to showcase pediatric nurses that demonstrate commitment to pediatric patient safety through professional activities, and/or interactions with patients and their families within their organization. Read more about the award criteria, questions, and prizes below. This award will be offered on a quarterly basis: the deadline for submissions this quarter is June 13, 2025.
The Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) is proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of pediatric nursing units that exemplify excellence in patient care. Using the Pediatric Nursing Excellence Model as a framework, these units have demonstrated their commitment to engagement, values, principles, care delivery, and continuous improvement.
Help us celebrate the inaugural recipients of this prestigious recognition!
In 1990, pediatric nurses sought a dedicated space for connection, support, and professional advancement. SPN was created to fill that need. Following our founding, SPN hosted the first Annual Conference in March of 1991 in Washington DC titled “Nursing Care of the Hospitalized Child.” Over the past three and a half decades, SPN has accomplished many important milestones including partnering with the Journal of Pediatric Nursing as the official publication of SPN in 2001, releasing the Pediatric Nursing Certification Review in 2006, becoming an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) provider unit in 2015, and launching the Transition to Practice Fellowship in 2018.
Reaching these milestones has allowed us to grow into the premier organization for pediatric nurses, offering educational resources, professional growth opportunities, and a network that strengthens our community.
The Magic Behind the Scenes
By: Tina Spagnola MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NE-BC
If you have any success stories, lessons learned, ideas, or other information you think would benefit your fellow SPN chapter members, please contact SPN to have your item included in the Chapter Newsletter. Contact Bayo Fasipe with any updates, questions, or other information.
Jennifer Lombardi, Board Liaison & Greater Kansas City Chapter President
Elections have opened for the open 2025-26 Board of Directors and Nominating Committee positions. You must log into your SPN member account to cast a vote. Elections will close on December 3, 2024. Please read about each candidate on the 2025-26 Board of Directors and Nominating Committee Slate page before you vote. Make your voice heard and vote today!
As the holiday season draws near, celebrations are often accompanied by distinct scents that can come from decorations or food preparations. These fragrances frequently trigger memories. However, this festive time can also become overwhelming as we juggle various tasks like shopping, cooking, and decorating for our chosen celebrations. Though holidays are generally viewed as joyful occasions, they can sometimes be quite stressful. Here’s where aromatherapy steps in, it may help alleviate stress and promote relaxation for improved sleep.
Aromatherapy functions through the inhalation of essential oils; upon doing so, it communicates with the hypothalamus and limbic system within the brain. This network influences emotions and memories. Therefore, the brain releases hormones such as serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine, chemical messengers that assist in regulating mood, sleep patterns, and digestive health. The secretion of these hormones is effective in reducing anxiety while fostering relaxation and supporting sleep. Research has shown evidence confirming aromatherapy's benefits for reducing stress.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that affects the lungs of hosts; about 97% of children are affected by RSV (American Lung Association, 2021). Most people may mistake this for a common cold, or have no symptoms at all. However, infants less than 6 months of age, premature infants, and older adults with poor health are at risk for more severe illness that can lead to bronchiolitis or pneumonia (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2024; CDC, 2024b). These illnesses result in somewhere between 50,000-80,000 hospitalizations of children annually, and twice that for older adults (CDC, 2024c; CDC, 2024b). The symptoms of RSV in infants include a progressive worsening of runny nose, cough, and decreased eating or drinking (CDC, 2024b). Infants less than 6 months old will also present with irritability, decreased activity, and apneic periods (CDC, 2024b). Interestingly, RSV is not associated with fever (CDC, 2024b). RSV infections are seasonal, and typically occur in late fall to winter months in the U.S. However, according to the American Medical Association (AMA), the COVID-19 pandemic disturbed the seasonal nature of RSV, and it has not returned to predictable pre-pandemic patterns (2023). This is relevant because it disrupts the ability to prepare for and prevent typical RSV illnesses, which includes timing of vaccinations.
Synagis
SPN Research and Evidence-Based Practice Grant Program Call for Letters of Intent by October 25, 2024
Purpose
